“Aw, is my brother-in-law squeamish?” Quinn teased her brother-in-law.
“About why a woman who is not my wife has a sore ass? One hundred percent.”
“It’s sore because of Addy. She’s a menace. I am deeply ashamed I made fun of Trey all those times he left PT bitching and moaning.”
“Trey’s a wimp,” Brady returned.
“I heard that,” Trey called out as he walked into reception.
“Can the two of you please leave so I can talk to Lauren?” Quinn griped.
“Is it about work or gossip?” Brady asked and I rolled my eyes.
“Please, you men gossip more than Lauren and me.” Quinn said what I was thinking. “And it’s business.”
“Jeez, you Walkers are snippy. I was just walking past to leave,” Trey delivered with a smile.
“You know you’re marrying a Walker, right?” Brady chuckled.
“Yep. The sweet one.”
“You used to call my sister the Devil,” Quinn reminded Trey.
Trey’s face lit the way only a man in love’s face could and his smile tugged higher, pulling on one of the scars on Trey’s cheek. I’d seen pictures of Trey before the mission that had left his face marred with scars and his leg severely injured. It could be said, Trey could’ve been a model. He was incredibly good-looking. But to me, the marks on his face added to his masculine beauty.
“What can I say? Turns out I like it a little rough,” Trey joked. “Catch you all Monday.”
Brady made a disgruntled snort and I took pity on him. “What can I do for you?”
“Did Dylan send you the Lucky files?” he asked.
“Yep. I printed them out and highlighted the cities that matched against Guy’s credit card statement. As I was going through the files there were a few dates Guy told me he was going out of town that weren’t on his credit card statements but the dates corresponded with the DEA report.” When Brady stared at me I rushed on. “I didn’t mess the report up, did I? I can print another one.”
“No, you didn’t mess anything up. We haven’t found a digital calendar and his phone’s clean so we’ve only been going off of Guy’s credit card statements. Thanks for including those dates.”
“Can I ask you something about the case?”
“Sure.”
“Why haven’t any of you asked me about Guy?”
Brady took me in with his gray eyes that used to hold so much pain. Since he’d finally pulled his thumb out of his ass and admitted he was in love with Hadley Walker, they were normally full of life. But right then, they held compassion I didn’t understand.
“No one wants to upset you.”
“Upset me? Talking about Guy doesn’t hurt me.”
“Just tell her,” Quinn piped up.
The look Brady gave Quinn would scare the pants off anyone else. Quinn being a ballsy, outspoken, badass was not affected by her brother-in-law’s scowl.
“My dad told the guys not to drill you for information. He doesn’t want Guy’s…extracurricular activities to be rubbed in.”
Jasper Walker.
The man’s heart was too big for his extra-large body. Some time ago when a man called Roman Kushnir waltzed into TC looking to avenge his father’s death and use Liberty as the vehicle to deliver his retribution, he beat me unconscious. Liberty and the team had all been out on the range and I was alone in the building. At the time the front door had no security—now it does, by Jasper’s decree. Clark, Levi, Lenox, and Jasper had paid the medical bills that insurance didn’t cover and Jasper and Emily wouldn’t hear of me recovering alone at home so they’d taken me in. I might’ve been staying with Jasper but my convalescing was a collective effort and each of the men and their wives had stopped in daily to help.
The thing was, I wasn’t physically hurt that bad. It was more that I was so afraid after being attacked I couldn’t sleep. Jasper had talked me through the nightmares.
“He loves you,” Quinn rushed out when she misinterpreted my silence.
“I know he does. Sometimes I forget how protective he is.”
Quinn snorted and shook her head. “That’s because you didn’t grow up with him.”
This was probably true. As an adult, I could appreciate his love and care. As a teenager, I might not have liked it.
“So, now that we’ve got that out of the way please let me help,” I told Brady. “I wasn’t with him long and I never traveled with him but I’m sure I know something that can be of use.”
Brady still looked skeptical so I started blathering on about what I knew about Guy Stevens.
“He told me he was from Florida. And I realize all of this could be a big fat lie since he’s a lying asshole but he told me he dropped out of college because his family couldn’t afford the cost. He decided to get his Microsoft certs and went into networking. After a few low-paying positions, he figured out the corporate world wasn’t for him so he started freelancing. He moved to Georgia about five years ago after he did a job up here and liked it. He has an office in Savannah.”
“Wait,” Brady interrupted. “Guy has an office? Have you been there?”
“That’s what he told me and no, I’ve never been there.”
“Do you have an address?”
“No. I’ve been on the phone with him when he’s supposedly left the office to meet a client at the Henderson Country Club. That conversation lasted about five minutes. I teased him about choosing an office space so close to the golf course.”
“Five minutes from the club would put an office in Midtown,” Quinn said, looking down at her phone. “Assuming he was telling the truth that he left his office. East of the club is all residential. North is the Savannah River and marine terminals. South is more residential until you cross Victory and there’s no way with traffic it would take five minutes to the club from there and there’s always traffic.”
“He doesn’t have an office space rented in his name.”
“He must’ve been lying to me then.” I shrugged.
“What about his family? Did he talk about them?” Brady asked.
“His parents live in Miami. His sister moved to Texas and he has a brother who lives in St. Augustine. Finn the Fisherman is what Guy called his brother.”
“Fisherman?”
“Yeah, I guess Finn owns a sportfishing boat or company, however you say that. Anyway, Finn’s into deep-sea fishing and charters his boat. I remember that because Guy made fun of his brother’s name but also, Guy said he gets seasick and has never been out with his brother.”
Brady was quiet and I wondered if Guy had gone as far as to lie about his family. It seemed there was very little he’d told me the truth about. And funny enough, it didn’t hurt as bad as one would think. I was more embarrassed I’d been swindled. But grateful I’d held back and not slept with the asshole.
Can you say, VD?
Just because my feelings weren’t hurt didn’t mean I was above wishing he’d get a flesh-eating bacterial infection and his dick would rot off. But that had more to do with my pride and the ass cheating on me than me being sad.